Abstract
Starbug is a new concept for a robotic positioning system able to deploy many payloads, such as pickoff optics, optical fibres, integral field units over the focal surface of a telescope. Aimed at addressing some of the weakness of current positioning systems, Starbug employs micro-robotic actuators to independently and simultaneously position multiple small payloads accurately on an arbitrarily large field plate. Targeted at offering a cost-effective positioning system for both optical and infrared instrumentation it is being developed to; operate in cryogenic environments, position to micron level resolution, simultaneous move arbitrary numbers of payloads and included micro-tracking for minor positional adjustments that could compensate for differential atmospheric refraction effects and instrument flexure.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 329-331 |
| Number of pages | 3 |
| Journal | New Astronomy Reviews |
| Volume | 50 |
| Issue number | 4-5 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jun 2006 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Micro-robotic
- Payloads
- Pickoffs
- Positioning system
- Starbug